California utility Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) inked a $2 to $3 billion solar deal last year with Brightsource Energy for 900MW of solar thermal power. Now PG&E has furthered its commitment to both Brightsource and solar energy by expanding the deal to 1,340 MW--enough to power 530,000 homes and make it the world's largest solar deal. The next largest deal is a contract for 1,300 MW between BrightSource and Southern California Edison. All of the Brightsource contracts are part of the utilities' push to produce 20% of power from renewable sources by 2010 and 30% by 2017.

Brightsource's solar thermal technology works with a central power tower containing an array of mirrors that reflect light from the sun onto a water-filled central receiver.  The reflection creates steam that powers a turbine. BrightSource's Israeli pilot plant is already in operation and steam production has been verified.

The first of PG&E and Brightsource's seven plants, a 110MW solar thermal plant in Ivanpah, CA, will come online in 2012. Operation dates for the other six plants are still up in the air.

[Via Bizjournals]